Accurate information on transport properties of rocks (especially on permeability and porosity) is important for optimizing various fluid-related geo-technical applications.
Existing methods for calculating transport properties from seismic data are described e.g. in US patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,926,394, 5,475,589, 5,638,269, 6,381,543, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,688,425. The existing methods deduce the rock permeability via statistical calibration or correlation of various seismic attributes with the permeability or by computing the permeability from a porosity value computed in turn from seismic data.
Such computations may sometimes take lithological factors like the clay content into account. Corresponding computational equations have a calibrating and/or correlative character.
Additionally, a method for calculating transport properties from seismic data is described in WO 2009/070365 A1. Here, the transport properties of rocks are computed from a rock sample 3D image segmented into compositional classes based on similarities in mineralogy, structure and spatial distribution. Then a mathematical model is selected that relates an effective (averaged) transport property or elastic property to the volume fractions of each compositional class.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 8,175,807 B2 describes a method for estimating tectonic-origin elastic stresses in rocks.
WO 2015/077581 A1 describes a workflow for determining stresses and/or mechanical properties in anisotropic formations.